Sinks Canyon & Wild Iris

Just a three hour drive from Jackson, the Lander region boasts an incredible variety of sport and traditional climbing.

Compared to the Tetons, spring typically arrives much earlier, and fall much later, allowing for great climbing when the Teton weather in not ideal.

Sinks Canyon

Sinks Canyon is located near Lander, Wyoming approximately three hours from Jackson, Wyoming. Sinks is a world-class climbing area offering hundreds of climbs on three different types of rock–granite, limestone, and sandstone. Most are several hundred feet in length and have easy descents. In the lower canyon, beautiful desert-like sandstone walls will appeal to the adventurous crack climber, while the limestone crags in the middle canyon feature steep, bolted, face-climbs. Granite cliffs in the upper canyon provide crack, face and slab climbs for beginning climbers and experts.

Car camping is available in Sinks Canyon, and the town of Lander allows camping in its family-friendly City Park, a place famous for ultimate frisbee and pick-up soccer games. Good hotels and restaurants are available.

Wild Iris

Wild Iris is a line of pristine white limestone crags below South Pass at an elevation of 9,000 feet. It is approximately a 30 minute drive from Lander, Wyoming. It is one of the most beautiful rock climbing areas in the country: the rock is beautiful, the lines are beautiful, and the setting–open meadows bordered by cliffs and forests of Douglas fir and aspen–is beautiful too. The snow clad 12,000 foot peaks of the Wind River Range provide a stunning background.

A one-mile hike from the car takes us to a paradise of over 300 bolted sport climbs. There are routes for every level of ability, though the area is best suited for moderate and advanced climbers. Kids who excel at climbing gyms and sport climbing will love the hard, safe routes. Wild Iris is famous for steep faces and overhangs.